NRDgirl I'm glad you were able to run through that calf pain but I hope you can figure out what the cause is. Get some rest this weekend.

CKLindsay Your new roomie sounds like she is a great motivator! Scary about those pigs...when I lived in Texas, the wild boar were pretty scary critters.

mkayc Wow, I agree...that is a marathon response! Good for you in taking the time to write it. I'm SO glad you are taking time off to heal, you are a smart gal. I agree, this group is the best and I feel grateful to be a part as well.

jmsab23 Thanks, Jon! Re: the article. I'm glad you like the cardinal, it's one of my favorite little paintings. Yep. 15 degrees is chilly. Good job on your TD run!

dilljeffrey Wow, you are just "kickin' it"!! Great job on getting some long-hard runs in. Hey, thanks for that super sweet comment. **blush blush** So you're from the Berkshires? Very cool!

Old Coyote Bummer about your job. My hubby just got laid ff too. But, he got a really good severance pay and it was time for a change. The next job for him needs to be much less stressful and much more fun! Beautiful pic!!

Spent the bulk of the day at my kids' swim meet. My DH, Frances, who is 13 yo got a PR in 100 yd breaststroke and came in first agianst other girls who are 18! My son also won in breatstroke and came in a close 2nd in the 100 yd individual medley at the ripe old age of 7! My kids are my inspiration and motivation to keep striving and stay healthy. DH and I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out the grade of this one hill I run up which seems to be at least 45%. We tried using trig with sine, cosine, angles and and tangents. I thought we had it figured out as 6%. When I went back to the MapMyRun site - it was included in the run stats all along! It was 10.2%! Well my brain got a good workout today. My body, not so much. Took dogs on a 40 minute walk.

Melody - I loved the artwork and the article wwas great! Congrats!

NDRgirl - How did your 10 K go?

CKLindsay - Where do you live? I see you did the Philly R & R Half in Sept - so did I!

Mary Kay - Thanks for taking the time to respond to everyone! It can be overwhelming when you need to catch up with this thread.

DillJeffrey - I thought about buying an inexpensive digital stopwatch to replace my last one, but I am enjoying running untimed. Instead I splurged on some fresh fruits and veggies from the local farmers market - apples, avocados, baby spinach, yellow peppers, mushrooms, carrots and eggs.

Jsmab - 1600 calories! I could eat whatever I wanted if I burned that much energy. You are amazing.

Old Coyote - So sorry about your job! Sounds like your run was just what you needed. You are lucky to be greeted by Mother Nature's splendor daily.

NHLA - Are you okay? Haven't seen any posts for a day or two. I hope you are running strong.

Enjoy you weekend and stay healthy!

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.Confucius

Mary Kay- A 10K 4 days after your HM-wow! I noticed you hedged a little on resting until you're recovered from the chest cold. You have a habit of doing that! You know what they say, cold below the neck, no running. Above the neck, go ahead. Take it easy lady, you've earned a rest.

OC- sorry about the job situation, will be praying for a new job for you. I can't imagine running those elevations like you do. And it IS beautiful.

Melody- Great article in the magazine, though I agree, should have been longer!

Sloooooooow on the TM this week, then 5.3 miles outside today. Cloudy & 45, perfect for running.

My last run was 5k yesterday - I always seem to lag these days on the boards...the only big difference was it was my first time without knee brace since april. I also did my karate workout on thursday without brace (I forgot to unpack from my suitcase from business trip this week). As I was able to walk friday morning, I decided to try going without. I kept it slow and steady -- much like I always waddle. as of tonight, nothing of note vis a vis pain/discomfort. its been a long time getting back to full function (kneeling down, stairs, etc) but I am very hopeful that as the year turns I can up the pace and my level of effort. Not to mention ride my bike again.

8.6 miles 1 hr 7 min ran the last 1.7 miles up ecco mt in 15min. Its a 600'climb. I don't think I have ever run it that fast.

I got a stone bruise in the ball of my left foot. Swelling is down. Wrapped in in vet tape and took off.

org great news on the knee.

frances I remember my mom taking me to all those swim meets.

ckl-mel I was in the hill country in TX. I was showing a newbe how we trapped the wild pigs and a Russian boar went after us, I took off running and to my surprise the newbe was right beside me. I could not believe how fast he went. We ran three miles rock to rock all the way back to camp. I knew the pig would only run 200 yds. just wanted to see if he could make it.

5.31 miles to Delaware River and back in 46 minutes. Pace of 8:39. My legs felt great! The hills on the way back were tough but manageable. Overcast and 47 degrees with slight breeze. The river was slate grey with two big tankers headed to Philadelphia. Near shore was a flock of Canadian Geese floating like ducks. Hurricane Sandy brought tons of driftwood onto the banks. The town of Marcus Hook has a nice Memorial Park on the riverfront which was nicely decorated for the holidays. It is a straight 2 miles from waterfront uphill to my home corner but I had to run past several bars and the American Legion. No catcalls but plenty of hello's and encouragement from the patrons.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.Confucius

Francessmom - nice run to the river. Mrs C was from Deptford Twp, NJ - She'd be jealous if she knew you were running there!

justrundan - Thanks, again. And glad you got some good weather!

Ogr44 - nice reset on the knee. Careful now.

NHLA - nice time on a good grade!

Speaking of grades, I'm NOT smarter than a 5th grader. The hill I walked yesterday was not 6%; it was 1 in 6, or about 16%.

Race day - 4.5 miles at Denver's running icon - Washington Park. Rocky Mountain Road Runners' last race of the year; beautiful weather for December. Quite chilly for set up, but after a hard warmup I stripped off my jacket and pants and ran in shorts/short sleeves. The sun came out for the start.

RMRR races are handicapped according to previous results, so there is a staggered start, and then in theory everyone finishes at pretty much the same time. My predicted time was 36:01, I finished in 35:01, so with my hcp I ended up 8th overall . First mile was 7:19, so I went out too fast. Slowed it down to a more reasonable ~8 minute pace for the next 3, then kicked hard the last 1/2 mile (3:40), 7:47 pace overall. A nice, fast road course for my (probably) last race of 2012. And I got a job offer from a fellow runner.

OldCoyote - I was going to send my condolences on the job, but it sounds like things are turning around! It still stinks about the old job but hopefully this new offer will be the answer to all our prayers for you. And nice race!

jmsab - prayers for your wife's surgery.

MaryKay - thanks - and great post!

MelodyLea - I love the article - agreed that it's too short. Your artwork is beautiful. Do you have a gallery? If I get out to western Mass anytime I'd love to see it.

Francesmom - I wasn't a runner when I lived in PA, but if I get back down to visit I'll know where to go from your posts. veloroutes.com is a cyclng site where you can calculate hill grades - very handy.

NHLA - you've certainly earned a rest even if you don't want it - take care of that foot

NRDGirl - welcome to my world. My calves hate me more times than not. They've been wicked tight (again)for the last week but I keep stretching them out til they feel better.

So, last Thursday was when I could not get out of bed. Friday I managed to get out for 4 miles. As above, calves were tight. Stretched once per mile and managed to pull off a very speedy second mile. Saturday I should have gone to water aerobics, but had to drop DS off for a Scout event and head right to church council - no time for aerobics, but did get a nice hike in with the dog in the afternoon. This morning was 6 miles even. Everything was dusted with snow and about 31 degrees - felt colder at the pond. Calves (again) wicked tight. Stretched for about 2 minutes each mile and by mile4 they were perfect. Went to church and came home to 2+ hours of raking.

p.s. for any of you whose posts I didn't get to, it's not from lack of caring but only for lack of time. I've read each one and you are all awesome

I ran a strong 10 miles this morning! Yay. You know you are acclimating to winter when 38 degrees feels balmy! I'm so excited that 10 miles felt fairly painless and even later in the morning I didn't feel "whipped". Getting stronger....

Francessmom Cool, re: your children's swim meet and their wins!! Thank, Re: the article and artwork. Nice work on the 5.3 mile river run.

justrundan Thanks, re: the article. Nice 5.3!

Ogr44 GREAT news regarding your knee! So happy for you.

NHLA Wow! Re: Texas hill country and the wild boar.<~ Scary buggers.

Old Coyote AWESOME race! Plus a job offer..nice.

Debm2011 Thanks re: the art article. I mostly have my work online (about 3,000 art items) BUT, Sat. the 8th I'll be doing a live show here in the Berkshires. Whoot! I hope those calves loosen up. Maybe a marathon stick? I'm getting one for Christmas.

I don't have Wifi at home so I've been at the local bookstore 5 hr. reading etc. I am now through reading all your posts. I know I didn't have to; I wanted to.

Rinkreb - we are about the same size and started racing about the same time. I've been putting my race bibs into a binder and because of that looking at the times. My first 5k in 8/11 was 59 min. It was a trail run but still, the first street race time was around 49 min. I started at 158 and haven't lost much weight. worked hard to get my 5k under 40 min and am nowhere near running a 5k under 30 min. Great going!!!

Deb, helping up a fellow runner. Big Win! Runners are the nicest people!! Running in wind chill, ugh!! Don't beat yourself up over sleeping in a little. It takes work to be as fantastic as you are. Awesome runs, lady!

NRDGirl, Great HM time and an awesome race!! You know how to have a great time! From your Nov. 30 run post, it looks like you're out of your slump. YAY!! Odd how the blahs happen. (10k on 12/1)

Degregarious, congrats on braving the weather for 10+ on black tights Friday!

OC, black shorts Friday? ahhahahaha! Target was my go-to place for all running gear the first year bc I was thinking I'd be wearing a different size the next year. HAHAHA! I'm still wearing the tights I bought there. $29 vs $59. Yes!! Thanks for the schooling that there's a rule to help out a runner! Re Sizes, they have definitely gotte much bigger - ten years ago!! I guess women notice these things sooner. I have to buy a size 8 today. In 1979, I weighed thirty pounds less and squeezed into a size 8. Saving money is a good thing any time you can do it. 25 degrees? Is there a limit to when you will run outside? Re running every day, your day off paid off?

So sorry about your job!!! This sure has been a lousy couple of months for you! Is it wrong that I still found stuff in your post that made me laugh? Awesome 4.5 race time!! You are another Rock Star!! Congratulations on that and getting a job offer. Hope it works out well for your.

FrancesMon, family reunion? Lots of potential for running motivation if your family is anything like mine. Great time on your runs!! You must be feeling good! Jeesh, 60 laps? that is powerful swimming! thinking about working into doing a Tri and I believe I may be able to finish one right now without stopping and maybe 20 with stops. chuckled at your attempt to find the hill's incline. been there, done that. I love numbers, just sometimes forget how to use them. 8:39. is Rockstar speed!!

Great job on your long run, RunnerGrrrl!!

NHLA, I enjoyed the gingerbread house pix. Hope your MiL enjoyed the trip! Must have smelled great !! A friend from Ashville posted this pic. Is this where you run? Re: your daughter's campus, it's so sad kids have to worry about that now. Their lives are so much more complicated than ours were. BTW, YOU are the champ!! You ran the newbie three miles at top speed just to see if he could take it? MEN!!

az, so glad you could be with your friend to help when she needed it! Love your new *name* and I figured it out but did wonder until I read your post. The cold to the bone feeling is humidity, something az doesn't have much. HATE IT!! A TM is better than no running!! And, you can get a desk to use while you're there so you can write some of that time off as work.

Melody, so nice to see you feel strong after nursing your cold!! If snow jacket keeps out the moisture, aren't you moist from sweat? Kudos on your runs in the snow!! So glad you're enjoying them! I also worry for your daughter. It's a new world out there and I wish it were a safer one. From resting to a strong 10 miles in two weeks; that is awesome!!!

DillJeff, there's prolly a pithy quote that captures the essence of idiots who take credit for someone else's wisdom. It's their problem. Chance's are everyone around them catches on to them soon enough. Great job on the long run in the snow!! I hope that tree didn't fall during your ran! "Want to make sure people see me when I fall..." Ahahaha! Big cheers for two new PRs!! And doing it in style is priceless!

Linuscatch, amazing! Kudos to you for trying to keep running through all that travel!! Stay safe and tell us more when you land?

OshCat, glad you're feeling better and nothing feels better than strong after a long bout of weak. It's like the first drink when you are parched dry, you REALLY feel it.

jmsab, going for a 6 mm is huge! The day I tried going for a 10 mm on the TM was the day I pulled my hammy. Congrats on the 10k PR!! Wet eyes and runny noses, I am so with you on running inside. My cut-off is around 30 or in the dark or if there's wind....I am a wimp bc I don't run outside in the cold. All that aside, I never trust the time on a TM, I just use it as a guide. Your TM pricing experience was very interesting and YUCK you almost spent $125 more than you needed to spend! There's an iPhone app that allows you to read the bar code and find out prices everywhere else for an item. Wonder if it would have told you to go home and order online? Regardless, your TM mileage is wicked awesome and I smell that goal closing in!!

CK, welcome back!! You have about 8 wks between now and the end of February to train? I feel your worry but you'll feel strong enough to move ahead in mileage quicker now from your past training. Where are you located?

Ogr, good news on the healing front! YAY!!

I see almost everyone ran Thanksgiving morning. Such a great idea!!

Reading all these posts with significantly shorter times and I am wondering what the heck is the matter with me that I am so slow and hurt so much in my chest when I try to run faster. I don't *want* to run this speed; I have run an 8-9 mm pace but if I tried doing that I'd be out of breath before one mile unless I walked and I'd never make it past 2 mi.

Taking time off to heal was the plan but the weather was 60+ yesterday so I went for a quick 3 mi but waited so long to get started that it was dark at 1.5 mi and felt really cold. Dripped all night and am coughing all day. Will try to stay home tomorrow and go back to the plan.

Dan, thank you for the feedback. After all this time I'm still a mystery to me. Good 5 m. run!!

45 with some sun today, so had to take advantage; 3.2 miles with some "intervals" on the road. Trying to pick up my stride pace closer to 180/min, but can't keep that up too long, so after warming up slowly I just did that for a minute and then walked a minute. Felt good to work on speed a little, thinking of doing that once/week in addition to the slow base building.

OC-great news on the offer, hope it turns into something workable and enjoyable for you.

Mary Kay, Mary Kay! What can I say. Feel better soon.

Melody- nice job on the 10 miler!! That acclimation occurs here too; amazing what feels warm after a short time dealing with real winter.

Francesmom- nice pace on the run to the river! Always helps to see beautiful and interesting things along the way. That's what makes any run outside better than the TM.

I came on here yesterday, about mid-afternoon and typed a long message, congratulating and responding to several people. While editing my message, my computer had an automatic update and I got a pop up asking if I wanted to restart now to complete. I was just trying to get the pop up out of the way so that I could post and hurriedly pressed 'yes' then yelled as I saw my screen go black! Boooo! Now there's much too much for me to catch up on so I'll just say, great job, everyone!

I ran a multi-terrain 10k which consisted of paved/unpaved trail and road yesterday morning and finished in 53:17. Not a PR, but I'm happy considering it was a tough course with the trail part of the race mostly consisting of gravel with loose rocks and the first mile being too congested with runners--far too many runners on the paved trail. It was quite frustrating in the beginning, but I told myself to calm down and just get through it. Honestly, I should have made my way closer to the front before the start, but I was too busy running my mouth. I knew I'd have to do a lot of dodging when I finally went to line up and saw the mass of bodies in between me and the start line. Yikes! The race started at 10AM, latest race start I've ever had. It was interesting, considering we've had Spring like temps out here for the past few days. The temps were high 50's when we started and we finished in the low 60's, at least. We ran most of the race in the direct sun, which made it feel much warmer. I even got a tan...in December! That's pretty crazy. Overall though, it was very well organized with a nice long-sleeved tech tee and an awesome post-race party with free beer. Yay!

I wanted to get in long run today, so yesterday one of my FB friends posted about a race called the Mustache Half Marathon in honor of Movember. The race was listed as: unofficial, unsponsored, uninsured, unsolicited (lol) and only cost $10, which was basically our donation to the Movember movement to fight prostate cancer. I showed up this morning and saw a few of my running buddies in the crowd of about 45 folks. It was so unofficial that our race numbers were on large sticky labels with the numbers written on by a sharpie. The course had small arrow signs along it. I said there was no way I was putting real effort into an unofficial event so I just ran comfortably with a few members from my club. We were in the back of the pack and they all decided to run slower on the second half. I got aggravated because it was getting warm and the race had a lot of hills, so I just kept my pace but when I looked up, I saw no one in front of me and the folks behind me were nowhere in site either. Not to mention it had been a while since I'd seen an arrow. lol I looked back again and saw a guy that I'd seen ahead of me earlier running up behind me. I asked if I'd missed a turn because I didn't know how he'd ended up behind me. He said he stopped to use the restroom. So, we're just running along and noticed we were back by the street we started on, but I also knew we had at least 2 more miles to go before hitting 13.1, and we were less than 2 miles from the start. I asked if we'd missed a turn. He didn't know and neither of us cared, considering it was unofficial. We ended up coming in on the wrong side of the finish line, which was written in chalk on the sidewalk. LOL We both just shrugged and gave each other high five. The race results were done on the honor system, so when I went to put my time by my name I honorably wrote: "Got lost, no idea what I would have finished in." I was about 1.5 miles off from 13.1 and I didn't feel like making it up. I didn't care. I had still gotten in a long run and had a great time doing it. It was a really fun unofficial race and we got pretty cool t-shirts. I hope the guy makes it official next year. After the "race" a few running buds and I grabbed some breakfast and chatted for a while. It was a great start to a beautiful day. No calf tightness on either run this weekend, but I am feeling a weird pain on the bottom of my 3rd toe, left foot. Such a weird place to have an injury. I don't feel it while I'm running, probably because of the way I strike, but I felt it while walking after the race. I'm resting this week and hope that helps. If not, I'll go see a podiatrist.

mkayc - glad I could make you laugh. The coldest it got last year was -6 F. There was no wind and no humidity, so it wasn't too bad. I could go to -20, if there's no wind, or to about -20 wind chill. Ran in some snowstorms last year, warmer but snow and wind. I just enjoy being outside more than I like being warm, I guess. Or more than I DISLIKE being cold.

Lady, I still think if you stopped racing every week you'd give your body time to recover. I think you're suffering from overtraining and I recommend light yoga or tai chi for a week to calm your core. I know you're too type "A" to actually not excercise at all. Monitor your heart rate by taking it first thing in the morning (this doesn't work if you wake to an alarm). See if it doesn't go down a few beats after a week of REST .

Are you sleeping well? Eating well? Then don't sweat the speed. The changes in your fitness and overall health don't depend on how fast you can run a 5K, they depend on your willingness to go run gently for at least 30 minutes several times weekly, and keeping moderately active EVERY day for 30 minutes. You have it nailed, in other words.